David kcnsthardt



(No Model.)

D. KUNHARDT.

TELEGRAPH KEY.

No. 368,342. Patented Aug. 16, 1887.

UNITE STATES ATENT OFFICE.

TELEGRAPH-KEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,342, dated August16, 1887.

Application filed March 29, 1887.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID KUNHARDT, a citizen of Germany, residing atAachen, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Morse keys with multiple contacts forsimultaneously transmitting one and the same telegram to severalstations, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in Morse keys; and it consists in akey having a multiple contact for the purpose of transmitting one andthe same telegram simultaneously to several stations, all as will behereinafter more fully described; and in order to make well understoodmy invention and enable other persons skilled in the art to perform thesame I refer to the accompanying drawings, which form part of thisspecification, and in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a keyembodying my invention on line 3 1 Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same on line a 2, Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a diagram of the system, showing the circuits and wire-connections.

The multiple contacts of every key are arranged side by side in thefollowing manner: On a block, A, metallic spring-blades a a a, &c., aresecured and connected, each with a battery, I II III, byconnecting-wires, the letters e e f f g 9' representing the line-Wires.The free ends of said blades are slightly bent down to have a slidingcontact With insulated metallic blades 8 8 8 arranged upon the uppersurface of the key, above the pivot x of the same. The ends of theblades 8'8 8" are bent down and project beyond thelower surface of thekey, to form on one side the rest or silent contacts b b b and on theother side the active or transmitting contacts d d d The'saidcontact-points may as well be suitably connected with the blades 8 8 8instead of forming part of the same.

As will be clearly understood from the plan Serial No. 232,915. (Nomodel.)

the following combinations are formed, viz: Battery I, blades a 8, pointI), or battery I, blades a 8', point (1 for the first circuit; andbattery II, blades a 8", point If, or battery II, blades a s", point (Pfor the second circuit, and so on.

The lower surface of the key is connected to a plate, B, by a spiralspring, h, which draws one end of the key down and closes the rest orsilent contact as long as there is no pressure working upon the knob Oof the key.

The contacts between the plate B and the points b b b and d d d areobtained through spring-blades a a a and t t i which are carried bysmall metallic blocks on plate B. By this means asimultaneous contact ofall the circuits is secured, even in case that one con tact should beworn out more than the other contacts, and that no equal distancesshould prevail between the several contacts.

It with a key arranged to make simultaneous contacts with several linesone or the other of said lines, or several of them, are to bedisconnected, it will only be necessary to use a suitable shunt toexclude the respective battery or batteries.

\Vhat I claim is- A Morse key with multiple contacts for simultaneouslytransmitting one and the same telegram to several stations, said keyconsisting of a pivoted lever bearing on its upper surface metallicblades 8 s s", forming part with or connected to the transmittingcontactpoints (1 (Z d, and rest or silent contact-points b I) b on thelower surface of the key, elastic metallic blades a a a and the contactst t t and a u" a, and of spring h, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses, this 11th day of March, 1887.

DAVID KUNHARDT.

W'itnesses:

FRANZ BERTRAM, J OH. HEOKMANNS.

